Corn-popping machine.



F. P. MOCOIG. CORN POPPING MACHINE. APPLIOATION FILED 11,111.2, 1911.

1,02 1 322, Patented Mar. 26, 1912.

FRANKLIN P. MGCOIG, OF DURANT, OKLAHOMA.

conn-Formare MACHINE.

Specication of Letters Patent. vApplication inea march 2, 1911.

Patented Mar. 2e, 1912.

SerialA N o. 611,775.

To all 'whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANKLIN P. Mo- Colo, a citizen of the United States,l residing at Durant, in the county of Bryan and State of Oklahoma, have invented vcertaln new anduseful Improvements in Corn-Popping Machines, of which the` following 1s a specification.

This invention relates to corn popping machines.

The 'object of the invention is to prov1 de a casing having a discharge hopper at its lower end anda motor box at its upper end through which a .feeding sleeve extends, the latter having a feeding hopper at its upper endl Another feature resides in the provision of a vertical screw conveyer` extending through the sleeve and supportmg a pan at its lower end, the'sleeve aving radial fingers extending overv the bottom of' the pan.

Other ob'ects are tli'irovision of a connection witli the conveyer in the motor box whereby power may be applied to the conveyer yfrom a 4suitable motor arra ed 1n the box; and the provision of av sac support below the dischar e hopper.

A still further o ject of the invention isto provide a machine of the character described that will be strong, durable, efficient and simple and comparatively inexpensive to construct, also one in which the several parts will not be likely to get out of workin order.

ith the above and other objects in View, the invention has relation to certain novel features of construction and operation, an example of which is described in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, whereln:4

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of the machine, Fig. 2 is a partial plan view, Fig. 3 is a horizontal cross-sectional View taken on the line S-S of Fig. 1, Fig. 4 1s a horizontal cross-sectional view taken on the line X-X of Fig. 1, and' Fig. 5 is a detail in elevation of the feeding sleeve.

In the drawings the numeral 1 designates a rectangular casing` Ahaving glass sides 2, one of which may be suitably arranged as a door whereby access may be had to the interior of thecasing. The casing has at its lower end a discharge hopper'3 terminatin in a spout 4. Supporting legs 5 exten downward from-the hopper 3. A headed rod 7 depends from the hopper adjacent the Y feedin spout and 'supports some distance below th'e spout, a plate or shelf 6 which is pivoted on the lower end of the rod and projects horizontally under the spout. This shelf isy used to support a paper sack under the spout which 1s filled as the corn is popped.

Over the upper end of the casmg a motor box or chamber 8 .is provided. In the top central portion of the box a feed hopper 9 is mounted. This hopper has a collar 10 extending a short distance into the box. A

sleeve 11 extends through theA bottom o thelbox and down into the casing, the sleeve having at its upper end a shouldered flange 12.l A collar 14 has 'its lower end bearing in the flange and at its upper end surrounds the collar 10. gear mem'- ber 15 isfixed about the collar 14 and is adapted to have driven connection with a suitable motor, as a spring, electric or weight motor. It is to be understood that a pulley (not shown) may be substituted for the gear member.

Within the sleeve 11 a vertical conveyer shaft 16 is suspended.. This shaft projects ashort distance below the -.sleeve and extends up into the hopper 9. Opposite the collar 14 the shaft 1s fixed thereto by' a transverse bar 17 and thus when the collar is rotated motion is imparted to the shaft. A shortr conveyer screw -or section -18 is secured to the shaft immediately above the bar 17. This conveyer section extends into the feed hopper and when yin motion carries the corn which has been placed in said hopper, down to the sleeve. In the sleeve another conveyer screw or section 19 is mounted on`the shaft and extends from the bar17 to the lower end of the sleeve. Onthe lower end of the shaft.` an annular pan 20-is secured. This pan is somewhat larger `in diameter than the sleeve and surrounds the same. The bottom of the pan is held in close proximity to the end of the sleeve which has a plurality of notches 21 through fixed on the shaft 16isro` on the sleeve and suitably secured thereto.

A collar 27'l freelyfitting about the sleeve is rotatable on the collar. From'this collar arms 28 extend downward and outward and have their lower ends secured to the retain ing wall of the pan. It is obvious that corn fed into the hopper will be carried down into the machine,

- popped and deposited in the sacks with.-

out attention from the operator and pop corn produced in quantities-in an expeditious and eflicient manner.

What I claim, is:

1. In a corn popping machine, a vertical casing, a discharge hopper at the lower end ofthe casing, a motor box mounted onv the casing, a feeding sleeve in the. casing, a conveyer in the sleeve, a rotatable pan connected with the conveyer and'surro-unding the sleeve into which .the latterdischarges,v

an agitator carriedby` the sleeve v and extending into the pan, a gear -member connected.; to the conveyer within the motor box, a feedqiA hopper supported over the sleeve, and.; a l

L casing, a discharge hopper at the bottom of burner located under the pan. f

2. In a corn popping machine, a verticali caslng, a feeding sleeve depending into the casing, a conveyer mounted 1n the sleeve,l

a rotatable pan at the lower end of the sleeve into which the latter discharges, ank agitator carried by the sleeve and extending` into the pan, a gear member connected with the conveyer, a burner located under the pan, and a feed hopper over the sleeve.

3. In a corn popping machine, a verticalv casing, a rotatable pan mounted in the casing, a sleeve depending in the casing and having its lower end adjacent the pan, said sleeve having provision for discharging into the pan, lingers radiating from the sleeve and extending over the pan, a conveyer mounted in the sleeve, a burner located 11nder the pan, and a feed hopper mounted over the sleeve.

4. In a corn popping machine, a vertical casing, -a discharge hopper at the bottom of the casing, a spout attached to the hopper, a sack support under the spout, a motor box mounted on the casing, a sleeve depending from the motor box into the casing and having a discharge opening atits lower end, a rotatable pan mounted below the sleeve, an agitating device carried by the sleeve and operating in the pan, a conveyer suspended in the sleeve, a gear member in the motor box having connection with the conveyer, a burner located under the pan, and a hopper over the sleeve. f

5. In a corn popping machine, a vertical casing, a feeding sleeve depending into the casing, a conveyer mounted in the sleeve, a4 gear member connected with the conveyer,

a rotatable pan below the sleeve connected with the conveyer, said sleeve having discharge openings within the pan, an agitating device connected to the sleeve and p`ro.

jecting into the pan, a bearing member con- `nected to the pan and surrounding the sleeve, a burner adjacent the pan, and a feed hopper supported over the sleeve.v

6. ,The combination in a corn popping machine, of a vertical casing, a sleeve fixed rin the vertical casing against rotation, a

screw conveyer mounted to revolve in the sleeve, arotatable pan supported under the sleeve, said sleeve being in position to discharge into the pan, an agitator extending from the sleeve into the pan, a gear member having connection with the conveyer, a burner adjacent the pan, and a. feed hopper over the sleeve.

In a corn popping machine, a vertical the casing, a motor box mounted on the casing, a vertical sleeve depending `from the motor box into the casing and having a discharge opening at'its lower end, a screw conveyer suspended in the sleeve, a rotatable pan below lthe sleeve having connection with the ``conveyer, an agitator carried by the sleeve and extendingy into the pan, a burner under the pan, a `feed hopper supported on the mot-or box over the sleeve, a rotatable collar between the feed hopper and the sleeve, said collar being located in the mo- 'ton box, la rigidconnection between the conveyer and the collar, and a gear-member attached to the collar.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANKLIN- P. MCCOIG.

Witnesses:

W. H. HENSLEY, W. B. H. PHILLIPS. 

